Chair tray



Nov. 21, 1950 A. K. PETERSON ETAL 2,531,080

CHAIR TRAY Filed May 22, 1948 AL El/V K JOETEAPSON .ficqMpoL-w WENTWOQTH INVENTORS.

Patented Nov'. 21, 1950 CHAIR TRAY Albin K. Peterson and Hampden Wentworth, Redondo Beach, Calif., assignors to Longren Aircraft Company, Torrance, Calif., a corporation of California Application May 22, 1948, Serial No. 28,626

4 Claims. s

have heretofore been provided; however, such chairs known to us are impractical due to their construction and weight for use in automobiles, transporting to and from restaurants, and for general utility during vacationing, visiting and the like. Prior, pivotally connected trays did not impart added strength or rigidity to the entire chair, permitted the child to readily lift and spill the contents of the tray, and interfered with the placement or removal of a child in a chair. Various types of baby chairs have been provided for carrying along wherever their use may be desired. Such chairs are light in weight, particularly those constructed from aluminum tubing or other light-weight material.

The present invention is particularly directed to a simple and efficient tray construction, the tray being arranged for use with a chair having a pair of forwardly and downwardly curving arms connected by a cross member above the level of the seat of such chair. We have discovered that by providing a light-weight tray, which may be stamped from light-weight material, such as aluminum, and provided with a groove along its inner side for engaging and receiving the transverse cross piece connecting the chair arms, the

tray may be supported in a cantilever manner by providing downwardly extending brackets on each end side thereof, the brackets being provided with a spring snap-on connection for engaging the upper ends of the front legs of the chair.

This particular manner of attaching the tray to the chair does not only render the tray easily and quickly attached or detached from the chair Anothe object is to provide a light-weight chair attachment that may be stamped from a single piece of material and provided with snapon connections for rigidly maintaining the tray in assembled relation on a chair.

A further object is to provide a chair att'ach- 1 ment so constructed as to utilize the transverse member connecting the arms of a baby chair for supporting the tray.

A still furtherobiect is to provide a chair attachment that may be readily and easily attached or detached from a chair which will be durable, efficient in operation, and which may be provided at a very small cost.

The above and other objects will be made apparent throughout the further description of the invention when taken in connection with. the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters refer to like parts. It is to be specifically understood that the drawings are not a definition of the invention but merely illustrate an exemplary form by means of which the invention may be effectuated.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chair having a tray mounted thereon embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line IIII of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken along'the line IIIIII of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line IVIV of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated in connection with one type of a chair for which the present tray is specifically designed. This type of a chair consists of a tubular framework of a light-weight material, such as aluminum tubing or the like. The supporting structure of the chair may be of a single piece of tubing bent in the form of a U, the legs of the U forming the front legs H and i2, the arms l3 and M, and upstanding back supports [5 and IS. The arms 13 and M are forwardly and downwardly curved into the front legs I I and I2 which are connected by the cross piece IT. The arms themselves are also connected by means of a horizontally extending cross member I 8. The seat itself may be made of canvas and include a front tongue removably connectable with the cross member E8, the entire seat being removable by a sliding motion along the arms and vertical back portions of the supporting frame. It will be noted that the level of the seat is below the level of the cross member I8.

The present tray may be made from a single piece of sheet material, such as aluminum or steel, represented in its entirety by it, having depending from the sides thereof brackets 2| and 22. The tray !9 is stamped to provide a central depression having a bottom 23 having substantially vertical front and rear side walls 2t and 25, respectively, and substantially vertical end walls 26 and 21. The front wall 2 3 and end walls 25 and 2? terminate in outwardly extending, sub stantially horizontal flanges 28, 29, and 3!, respectively. The flanges 28, 29, and 3! merge together and are rounded to form a continuous flange about the front and sides of the tray. The upper end of the rear wall 25 terminates in a substantially flat, horizontal portion 32, the latter terminating in a downwardly extending lip or flange 33, forming a groove 34 in the lower surface of the tray, the groove being defined by the rear wall 25, horizontal portion 32 and the downwardly extending flange 33. The ends of the horizontal portion 32 merge into the inner ends of the flanges 29 and 3!, completing a continuous, substantially horizontal flange surrounding the upper edges of the walls 24, 25, 26 and 21.

The downwardly extending flange 33 is recessed at each of its ends, as shown 'at 35, for accommodating and receiving the cooperating portions of the arms l3 and 14.

The brackets 2i and 22 depend from the outer edges of the flanges 29 and 3|, respectively, and are arranged to cover the outer surfaces of curved portions of'the arms. Each of the brackets-may terminate at its upper edge with an inwardly turned flange 35, on which the opposing surfaces of the flanges 28 and 3! rest. The flanges 'et'may be aifixed to the flanges 29 and 3! by any suitable means, such as rivets 31, or by welding. Each of the brackets 2-i and 22 extends from the rear end of the flanges 2t and SI to a point rearwardly of the forward end of the flanges 29 and 3! The brackets are somewhat triangular in shape and provide a downwardly and inwardly curved forward end, the latter terminating in an inwardly extending flange 4!. The flange 4-1 terminates short of the lower end of the bracket, as shown at 52. The lower ends of the flange ii are positioned to engage the cooperating portion of the legs 5 i and i2 and provide a support for theouter portion of the tray l9, the brackets terminating downwardly and inwardly from the lower ends of the flanges tl and arranged to=overlie the opposing sides of the legs H and i2, the bottoms of the brackets 21 and -22 extending upwardly and rearwardly from the lower front ends of the brackets to the rear ends of the brackets, as shown at 43.

Means is provided for releasably attaching each oi" the brackets 2i and 22 to the legs -I I and I2, respectively. In the form. shown, the attaching means consists of a spring snap-on connection, represented in its entirety by 5 4* (see Fig. 4), positioned adjacent the lower end of each of the flanges li and fixed to the adjacent portions of the flanges 2i and 2-2. The connecting means 44 consists of flat flange portion l5 adapted to lie flush against the opposing portion of its associated flange and fixed thereto byany suitable means, such as brads it. The rearwardly extending portion of the means i l consists of a curved spring portion Al terminating in a backwardly turned, beaded, free end 38, spaced from the opposing portion of its associated bracket.

it now can be understood that the present tray may be attached to the chair by inserting the groove 3:; provided at the rear side of the tray over the transverse cross piece It and the tray moved downwardly to cause the snap-on means ts to engage the legs I! and i2 and that the tray may be readily removed from the chair by lifting the outer end of the tray upwardly, disconnecting the means M from the legs H and 12.

It will be noted that the weight of the tray is carried by the contact of the cross member ill with the-inner side walls-of the groove 34 and the lower end of the'fiange M, as shown at 42, and that the portions of the flanges overlying the 4 curved intersection of the arms and legs will prevent any lateral movement of the tray. It is also to be noted that the shoulder 42 contacts the downwardly curving portions of the arms II and I2 at a point in front of and below the level of the cross member l8, thus imparting great stability to the tray when it is in position on achair.

Accordingly, there is provided a detachable tray for baby chairs employing a cross piece connecting the arms of the chair adjacent the outer ends thereof. The present tray is simple in construction, durable, provided with cantilever means for rigidly supporting the tray, which means may be readily and easily attached or detached from the chair. The tray is light-weight, simple in construction and may be provided at a very small cost.

While I have illustrated and described one form of the present invention, it will now be apparent to those skilled in the art that certain changes, modifications, additions, and omissions may be made in the exemplary-form illustrated and described without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

We claim:

=1. A removable tray arranged for use with a childs chair, having a pair of forwardly and downwardly curving arms connected by a cross member above the level of the seat of such chair, comprising: a body portion having a depressed central area; a downwardly extending lip along the rear margin of the body portion, said lip cooperating with a wall of the depressed central area to form a groove in the lower surface of the tray arranged to receive the cross member of the chair; a downwardly extending bracket at each side of the tray, each of said brackets beingprovided with an inwardly extending curved flange having a margin arranged to abut a downwardly curved portion of a chair arm at a point in front and below the level of the cross member; and resilient means at the extremity of the flange carried by each bracket and cooperating with the flange for grasping an arm.

2. A removable tray arranged for use with a childs chair, having a pair of forwardly and downwardly curving arms connected by a cross member above the level of the seat of such chair, comprising: a body portion having a depressed central area; a downwardly extending lip along the rear margin of the body portion, said lip being integral with the body portion and presenting a curved surface therebetween, said lip cooperating with a wall of the depressed central area to form a groove in the lower surface of the tray arranged to receive the cross member of the chair; a downwardly extending bracket at each side of the tray, each of .said brackets being provided with an inwardly extending downwardly curved flange having marginarranged to abut a downwardly curved portion of a chair arm at a point in front and. below the level of the cross member; and resilient means including a spring clip carried by each bracket and cooperating with theflangefor grasping an arm.

3. The combination with a-chair having spaced supporting legs, spaced-arms intersecting the upper ends of said legs and a cross member connecting-said arms adjacentsaid-intersection, of a tray having a bottom, upstanding side and end walls terminating in substantially horizontally disposed flanges, the adjacent-endsofsa-id flanges merging together to form a continuous flange surrounding the upper ends of said walls, one of said flanges terminating in a downwardly extending flange forming an inverted, U-shaped groove along one side of said tray, said groove adapted to engage and receive said cross member, and means depending from the said end flanges for engaging the said legs adjacent said intersection, the said means including bracket, the outer end of said bracket terminating in an inwardly extending curved flange extending from the top thereof to a point adjacent the inner surface thereof, the bottom of said flange being arranged to rest upon the opposing portion of its cooperating leg, and a spring clip carried adjacent the extremity of said bracket and cooperating with said flange for clamping said bracket in tight engagement with said leg.

4. A removable tray arranged for use with a childs chair, having a pair of forwardly and downwardly curving arms connected by a cross member above the level of the seat of such chair, comprising: a body portion having a depressed central area; a downwardly extending lip along the rear margin of the body portion, said lip cooperating with a wall of the depressed central area to form a groove in the lower surface of the tray arranged to receive the cross member of the chair; a downwardly extending bracket at each side of the tray forwardly of the cross member, each of said brackets being provided with an inwardly extending, downwardly curved flange along one edge margin arranged to engage a downwardly curved portion of a chair arm at a point in front and below the level of the cross member; a spring clip carried adjacent the lower end of each bracket and cooperable with the point of engagement of the inwardly extending flange to tightly grasp a portion of an arm.

ALBIN K. PETERSON.

HAMPDEN WEN'I'WORTH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 579,120 Rhine Mar. 16, 1897 892,817 Feely July 7, 1908 1,287,894 Cox Dec. 17, 1917 2,332,582 Kyncy Oct. 26, 1943 

